The Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) is a splinter group of the Organization of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which formally announced its existence following its abduction of three humanitarian workers from a Saharan refugee camp in Tindouf on 23 October 2011. MUJAO's leaders are known to be drug traffickers involved in the drugs trade in the Sahel and southern Algeria.Merger with Belmokhtar 2013 MUJAO and The Masked Batalion announced a merger of their groups renaming themselves The Mourabitounes (also known as al-Murabitun, The Sentinels, Al-Murābiṭūn, The Almoravids). The merger is only partialy complete because it was not signed by some other groups (or what remains of them) including 'Signed in Blood', a battalion of Belmokhtar virtually decimated in In Amenas (January 2013) and other phalanges of MUJAO, such as the Salahedine Brigade and Ousmane Dane Fodio Brigade. (see more in incident…
Movement for the Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO)

Associated Groups
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al Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) - (Salafist Group for Preaching and Fighting (see separate entry)
SPLINTER GROUP; al Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) - (Salafist Group for Preaching and Fighting (see separate entry) is also known as Al-Qaida Committee in the Islamic Maghreb, Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC), Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, al Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb, Al-Qa’eda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Groupe Salafiste pour la Prédication et le Combat (GSPC), al Qaeda fo Bilad al Maghrib al Islami, Belmokhtar Group (BG), Tanzim al-Qaeda bi Balad al Maghrib al Islami (AQIM), AQLIM, AQIM. -
Boko Haram (Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad - JAS)
RIVAL FACTION; Boko Haram (Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad - JAS) is also known as Jama'at Hijra Wa Takfir (JHWT), Nigerian Taliban, Taliban, Western Civilization is Forbidden, Western Education Is Sin, Western Education is Sacrilege, Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings), Group for the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad, People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad. -
Mourabitounes / Al Qaeda in West Africa
EVOLVED INTO; Mourabitounes / Al Qaeda in West Africa is also known as al-Murabitun, The Sentinels, Al-Murābiṭūn, The Almoravids, al-Murabitoon. -
Associated Articles
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The Forgotten Three: The Fate of AQIM Timbuktu Hostages and Their Captor Belkacem Zouadi
02 December 2015Videos (above): Left Johan Gustafsson; Right Stephen McGown "Proof of Life Videos" released by AQIM. For More on South Africa: GIFT OF THE GIVERS RECEIVES PROOF OF... -
Policy Making Within Jihadist Groups in Maghreb and Sahel
GPSC Forced to Mountain RegionsAfter a decade of terrifying Algerian civil war between Islamic forces and secular authorities, the two sides started the debate about national reconciliation and... -
AQIM on The Rebound
Maps Above Reflect AQIM 2014 presence (either attacks, spotting, or CT operations): Tassassit (Mali), Tizi Ouzou (Algeria), Tinzaouatine (Algeria), Iboudrarène (Algeria), OUkenek (Mali),... -
The Triad of Leaders in Boko Haram reflects it's Larger Transnational Aspirations
Trouble in the State of Boko HaramBoko Haram’s (Jama`at Ahl al-Sunna li al-Da`wa wa al-Jihad) current operational focus is often seen as identical with the ambitions of its leader Abibkar Shekau....
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Groups and individuals included in TRAC's database range from actual perpetrators of social or political violence to more passive groups that support or condone (perhaps unwittingly) such violence. The spectrum of violence represented by these groups is vast, from Jihadists who bomb train stations to financial institutions that transfer funds. Some groups that originally engaged in violence but have since become legitimate political parties are included to provide historical perspective. TRAC is in no way attempting to determine whether groups or individuals are terrorists -- only to convey reported information about their activities and official State status. While TRAC attempts to ensure the accuracy of its TRAC database, the entries in the database are from numerous different sources. Hence, TRAC cannot and does not warrant the accuracy of the entries in its database. The editors of TRAC may modify these entries at any time and welcome comments and suggested corrections or additions. Please write [email protected] or hit the "SUBMIT ADDITIONS" button on the page of the group profile about which you wish to comment.